This invention relates to a waste processing attachment for a self-propelled vehicle, such as an industrial excavator, and a method for environmentally treating solid, semi-solid, and liquid sludge waste. Such waste is commonly generated as a by-product of industrial plants, and then stored in man-made lagoons for subsequent treatment. The invention discharges sludge-hardening reagent to a predetermined target area below the surface of the lagoon, and mixes the reagent and waste together. The resulting mixture causes the lagoon to harden over a period of about 7-21 days. After treatment, the solidified lagoon is capped with a protective layer and used as a parking lot, equipment storage area, or the like.
According to one prior art waste treatment system, a reagent slurry is pumped from a remote location to a backhoe excavator, and then discharged into the sludge lagoon. In lieu of a bucket, the excavator includes a reagent injector fork with hollow tines attached to the stick for injecting and mixing the reagent slurring into the sludge waste. As reagent flows through the injector tines, the operator repetitively rakes the fork through the sludge until a sufficient amount of reagent is mixed into the area being treated.
Unlike the invention, the prior art system discharges the reagent slurry over a relatively large area, and randomly mixes by raking the fork through the lagoon. The prior art system does not discharge to a predetermined target area, and does not capture and mix the reagent slurry immediately as it enters the sludge waste. Random discharge of reagent and mixing in the above manner would typically result in poorly treated areas having non-uniform hardness and consistency.